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Joomla vs Sanity

Joomla vs Sanity: which is right for your project? Joomla is php cms balancing power and usability. Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

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TL;DR — Our Recommendation

Sanity wins overall, but Joomla is better for community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management. Choose Joomla for Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management. Choose Sanity for Developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience.

Official docs: Joomla Documentation · Sanity Documentation

Feature by Feature Comparison

FeatureJoomlaSanity
Ease of Use
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scalability
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Joomla

Pros

  • Built-in ACL system more powerful than WordPress out of the box
  • Native multilingual support without extensions
  • Flexible content categorization system
  • Good balance between ease of use and developer features

Cons

  • Smaller community means fewer extensions and themes
  • Admin interface feels dated compared to modern CMS options
  • Performance degrades with many extensions installed
  • Finding skilled Joomla developers is increasingly difficult

Sanity

Pros

  • GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL
  • Real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs)
  • Fully customizable React-based Studio admin panel
  • Portable Text format gives structured rich text (not raw HTML)

Cons

  • GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve
  • Studio customization requires React development knowledge
  • Per-user pricing gets expensive for large editorial teams
  • Steeper setup curve than GUI-first headless CMS options

Platform Details

DetailJoomlaSanity
Language / Stack
PHPJavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
Type
traditional cmsheadless cms
Pricing
Free (self-hosted)Free / $15+/month per user
Open Source
YesYes
Best For
Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user managementDeveloper-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
Export Method
Database export or J2XML extensionGROQ API, GraphQL API, or Sanity CLI export

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Joomla if…

  • You need community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management
  • Your team is comfortable with PHP
  • You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Choose Sanity if…

  • You need developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
  • Your team is comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
  • You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Joomla and Sanity depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Joomla is a traditional cms built with PHP, while Sanity is a headless cms built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. If your team includes non-developers who need to publish content frequently, Joomla's familiar editing interface may save you onboarding time.

From a cost perspective, both platforms are open-source, so the real cost difference is hosting and operational overhead. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Joomla better than Sanity?
Sanity scores higher overall (24/30 vs 18/30) thanks to better performance. However, Joomla remains the better choice for Community portals and membership sites needing built-in user management.
Can I migrate from Joomla to Sanity?
Yes. Export your Joomla content via Database export or J2XML extension, then import it into Sanity. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.
What are the main differences between Joomla and Sanity?
Joomla is php cms balancing power and usability, while Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. Key differences: performance (Joomla: 2/5, Sanity: 5/5), pricing (Free (self-hosted) vs Free / $15+/month per user), and scalability (Joomla: 3/5, Sanity: 5/5).
How much does Joomla cost compared to Sanity?
Joomla: Free (self-hosted). Sanity: Free / $15+/month per user. Both are open-source, so the main cost difference is hosting and infrastructure.
Which is easier to learn, Joomla or Sanity?
They're similarly approachable (both 3/5). Joomla uses PHP, while Sanity uses JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio). Your team's existing skills will determine which feels easier.
Which performs better, Joomla or Sanity?
Sanity has the performance edge (5/5 vs 2/5). Sanity has strong performance characteristics. Joomla Performance degrades with many extensions installed.

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